Assessment of Acute Hospital Use and Transfers for Management of Pediatric Seizures

Key Points Question What is the availability of acute hospital care for pediatric patients with seizures? Findings This cross-sectional study including 57 930 encounters with pediatric patients with seizures found that children with seizures are commonly seen in nearly all acute care hospital emergency departments. Most are treated as outpatients, but admission usually requires transfer to a very small number of high-capability receiving hospitals. Meaning These findings suggest that pediatric seizure care is highly regionalized; therefore, as health systems and insurance products evolve, adequate networks of pediatric care must include both community hospitals and their quaternary referral partners.